Quarterly Bulletin
Bal Raksha Bharat
December 2020 | ISSUE-VI
our child champions
Up Close And Personal
Five child champions nominated for International Children's Peace Prize 2020
The International Children’s Peace Prize is awarded annually to a child who has made an exceptional difference for the rights of the child and the position of vulnerable children, anywhere in the world. The prize was launched in Rome during the 2005 World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates chaired by Mikhail Gorbachev. Since then, each year the prize has been awarded by a Nobel Peace Laureate. The prize has been won by the likes of Malala Yousafzai, Nkosi Johnson from South Africa for his fight for recognition and de-stigmatization of children with HIV/AIDS and the latest International Children’s Peace Prize, in 2019 was awarded to Greta Thunberg (16) from Sweden and Divina Maloum (14) from Cameroon. This year five of our child champions were nominated for this highly esteemed prize.
ceo speaks
Dear extended family of Save the Children, Bal Raksha Bharat and the 1.2 million children we are associated with!
This is my first communication to you all and let me start with a big thanks to all of you for being with us and being a part of the solution – this co-commitment for making this world a better place for children. They say that the tough get going when the going gets tough – well this year we helped us learn that of ourselves. Our team on the field has worked in the most uncertain and tough times to ensure continuity come hail or high water – and ensured that we deliver as per our promise. Without your unstinted support and belief, we would not have been able to reach as many children as we have despite all challenges.
COVER STORY
Understanding Child Rights
Pushing further with Innovations
Innovations, adaptations and digital transformation have long been touted as something that NGOs needed to do, but someday. The COVID-19 pandemic forced this conversation to the here and now. With the needs and risks increasing manifold and resources growing dry, innovations and adaptations rose as the need of the hour.
Save the Children has always been an advocate of innovations to uphold the interest of children. With innovation champions driving novel and disruptive approaches for the best interest of children within each function, the COVID-19 crisis turned ideas into reality.
Highlights of the quarter
Celebrating Breakthroughs
Save the Children family welcomes lead enabler
Sudarshan Suchi has taken charge as the new CEO of Save the Children. He takes on the mandate from Bidisha Pillai, who takes up the global role of Director – Campaigns, Advocacy and Communication at Save the Children International.
Mitigating climate impact on children through evidence
Save the Children in collaboration with PwC India launched the report, 'Protect A Generation: Climate Security for India’s Children’ on 9 October 2020 that focuses on the globally critical issue of climate change and its impact on children.
Rapid Needs Assessment
The Rapid Needs Assessment conducted by Save the Children that included a sample size of 7,235 families across 15 states showed that children in about 62 per cent households discontinued their education amid the coronavirus outbreak.
at a glance
Updates From This Quarter
RALLYING FOR THE RIGHT
Child-friendly police station launched in Banswara
To address the growing risks to children’s right to protection amid COVID-19 outbreak, a child-friendly police station was launched in Banswara district of Rajasthan under the anti-child labour campaign initiated by Save the Children with
Community level child protection strengthened in MP, Rajasthan
170 Panchayat Level Child Protection Committees (PLCPC) has been formed in four blocks of Banswara district in Rajasthan. 557 members including Village Development Officers from nine blocks, Sarpanch have been trained and oriented.
Health and hygiene champions at schools prepared in Telangana
Child health hygiene plus groups have been formed in Rangareddy district of Telangana who will act as change makers among their peers and in their schools.
Linking youths to business
80 victims of child labour have been supported to start their individual ventures through skill building of youths and adolescents in Rajasthan.
Poshan Maah campaign to uphold dhildren’s right to health & nutrition
Aligned with the Government perspective of converting nutrition awareness
COLLECTIVISING ACTIONS
NCFE certifies competency-based training module for child protection workers
The competency-based training framework developed by Save the Children for training community cadre for protection of children
Save the Children on CoP core group led by UNESCO
Kamal Gaur, Deputy Director, Education has been invited to be member of core group for Community of Practice (CoP). The COP, led by UNESCO, is a national as well as an intra- and inter-regional platform where the issues of curriculum change can be jointly discussed and implemented within the framework of a holistic approach for determining and implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Save the Children in NITI Aayog’s child rights and protection sub group
Save the Children has been officially invited to be a member of NITI Aayog’s sub-group on Child Rights
IVRS to empower communities
We have partnered with Gram Vaani in our existing Project VISHWAS to leverage their Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS)
Save the Children signs MoU with Byjus
In a bid to support quality online education resources, Save the Children has signed MoU with Byjus App, India’s largest education technology
SYSTEM STRENGTHENING
Photo for representational purpose
Technical support to Gumla district for improving nutritional indicators
Save the Children has provided technical support to Gumla District Administration
Migrant children to be covered under ICDS in Bihar
Coming as a victory to our constant advocacy efforts in Bihar, State government’s
Collaboration with DSE in Telangana to take textbooks to marginalised
Save the Children partnered with the Directorate of School Education in Telangana
GATHERING EVIDENCES
Amplifying the stories of grit, resilience, change
Save the Children collaborated with ‘No Filter Neha’, a no-holds barred audio show, where Bollywood star Neha Dhupia chatted with child champions to dig out their stories of change. The streaming of the show is available on Jio Saavn app, an Indian online music streaming service.
We also partnered with youth-led organization ‘The Tale of Humankind’ to showcase courageous stories of brave child champions.
These children have fought all odds to make a change in their community and The Tale of Humankind will help us tell their stories to a wider audience. The process is being led by youth on both sides.
Organisational Showcase
Our Children, Our Pride
Employee wellbeing key to organisational performance
Arising from Save the Children’s commitment to ensure employee wellbeing during the pandemic and work from home schedules, weekly counseling sessions were launched by the human resource. The counseling sessions conducted by Shweta Varma, an RCI certified Counselling Psychologist were open to all staff members on a registration basis.
The counselling sessions were offered free of cost for the employees and seeks to bring in an external perspective to address personal or professional concerns of employees. With absolute adherence to confidentiality, the sessions are held on every Friday in the months of October, November and December.
our Reach
Reaching Every Last Child
SAVE THE CHILDREN IN NEWS
Making headlines
WATCH OUT FOR
Stay tuned for more
A Generation at Stake, Protecting India’s Children from the Impact of COVID-19
Save the Children conducted a global research covering 46 countries to generate evidence on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on children, and identify children’s and their family’s needs during these times.
Save the Children as a part of this research, generated country-level evidence in India to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and identify measures implemented to mitigate its manifestations on children’s health, nutrition, learning, protection and overall wellbeing. The research captures the views of parents and children including voices of children and their key messages for leaders and other children around the world.
engage with us
Time to #AllyUpForHer
For too long, gender safety has been a fight only fought by women. Extending on the agenda of girl’s safety, Save the Children urges men to partake in the conversation and to #AllyUpForHer through launching a petition that urges popular OTT platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hotstar etc. to create content that promotes and encourages allyship and bystander intervention.
Save the Children believes that platforms, with their immense reach and influence, can create impactful and meaningful content around allyship and bring the discourse to the mainstream. Thereby, motivating the public (most importantly- men) to leave the sidelines and #AllyUpForHer.
Sign the petition to support the cause and help us spread the message of allyship and make this campaign a resounding success.
give your valuable feedback
Thank you
Help us do better
BAL RAKSHA BHARAT
QUARTERLY BULLETIN
ISSUE-VI DECEMBER 2020